Chipotle is a huge chain of Mexican restaurants in the USA and has recently had significant food poisoning outbreaks, as a result a large number of the sites have been closed. The chain prided itself on having safe non GMO foods, but this appears to have overlooked the importance of making sure the food was safe in terms of preventing food poisoning.

The article below highlights the important question of what is the actual definition of safe food.

The article is from The Week and is included here with permission

“Can Chipotle recover from food poisoning” asked James Surowiecki in NewYorker.com. Arguably “the country’s single most successful restaurant chain,” the company is reeling from a series of food poisoning outbreaks that have caused its stock to plummet 25 percent. In November, Chipotle shut down 43 of its Mexican eateries in Oregon and Washington and in ensuing weeks, customers from seven other states “contracted food-borne illnesses.” The latest debacle came last week when at least 120 Boston College students who ate at Chipotle caught a highly contagious norovirus–a nasty stomach bug that causes projectile vomiting and explosive diarrhea. The company touts its use of “fresh, often locally sourced, ingredients” for its tacos and burritos, which is part of the problem: Dealing with many smaller, organic local suppliers rather than a few large ones “makes the task of insuring food safety more complex.” In light of recent events, it also makes Chipotle’s slogan–“food with integrity”–sound “painfully ironic.”

Perhaps the company was too focused on creating the illusion of safety, said Kimberly Leonard in USNews.com. Chipotle boasts that its food is free of genetically modified organisms, which is fine–except that scientists say that GMO’s pose no known threat to humans. Better to focus on the E. coli, salmonella and other potentially dangerous microbes in lettuce, tomatoes and cilantro, which can make people sick. The company’s comeuppance is “well deserved,” said Henry Miller in Forbes.com. In all its self-congratulatory New Agey-ness, Chipotle “eschews high-tech pesticides” and “rejects modern synthetic fertilizers.” But food produced with modern techniques is actually “safer than food that reflects pandering to currant fads.” Chipotle’s negligence made people sick, and it needs new management; let’s see “if there’s a company left after the trial lawyers get through with it.”

– The Week

The following is the latest media release from the New South Wales Food Authority and is included here with permission.

NSW Health and the NSW Food Authority urge caution as warmer weather leads to more salmonella cases

23 December 2015

With the warmer weather already here, NSW Health and the NSW Food Authority are urging people to be aware of Salmonella poisoning and take care when preparing and storing food.

Salmonellosis notifications have started to increase as a result of warmer temperatures, with 97 notifications in NSW in the week up to December 13.

Dr Vicky Sheppeard, Director, Communicable Diseases Branch, NSW Health, said products containing undercooked eggs are the most common source of outbreaks of salmonellosis in NSW.

 “Salmonellosis can be quite severe. The symptoms include fever, headache, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Symptoms usually start about six to 72 hours after eating the contaminated food and typically last for four to seven days, but can continue for much longer,” said Dr Sheppeard.

“It is important that people do not prepare food for others while they are unwell and, as a precaution, for 48 hours after symptoms have passed.

“Occasionally, hospitalisation is required for management of dehydration, particularly in young babies, elderly people and those with weakened immune systems.”

NSW Food Authority CEO Dr Lisa Szabo said to avoid Salmonella poisoning, the same advice applies to both consumers and food retailers when preparing dressings, mayonnaises, desserts and sauces.

“It is far safer and preferable to use alternatives such as commercially produced products instead of handmade mayonnaise and sauces, or to use commercially pasteurised eggs in lieu of raw eggs in ready-to-eat products such as desserts and drinks,” Dr Szabo said.

“While preparing and handling food, keep benches and utensils clean and dry and do not allow cross contamination of raw and cooked products.

“Retailers should also remember that food laws in NSW prohibit the sale of eggs with dirty or cracked shells because this increases the risk of contamination and food-borne illness, and should reject any eggs that are not intact,” said Dr Szabo.

Salmonellosis is a form of gastroenteritis caused by Salmonella bacteria, which are commonly found in animals.

For further information, visit:

• http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/factsheets/Pages/Salmonellosis.aspx

For further information on the safe handling of eggs visit the NSW Food Authority website:

• http://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/rp/safe-use-of-raw-egg-products

The following is the Christmas media release from the Food Safety Information Council, and is included here with permission.

No bath for the Christmas turkey – food safety tips for the holiday period

While Santa might be real, the Food Safety Information Council says there are a lot of food safety Christmas myths out there including the need to wash the turkey before cooking it.

According to Rachelle Williams, Council Chair, 68% of people in the Council’s most recent national survey washed their turkey before cooking it.

‘Turkey is an important part of our Christmas tradition and still popular, with half of the people surveyed reported cooking a whole turkey, but it can be a source of food poisoning if not handled correctly.

‘The last thing your turkey needs is a bath before being cooked as cooking the turkey correctly to 75 °C in its thickest part is the best way to kill any bacteria present. Washing the raw turkey, or any other poultry, can spread food poisoning bacteria around your kitchen where it can contaminate your sink area and other food, utensils and your hands.

‘It is disappointing to see many Christmas recipes and chefs still recommending washing poultry and advising that poultry is cooked when the juices run clear – the only safe way to ensure it is the correct temperature of 75 °C is to use a meat thermometer.

“The Council is a health promotion charity and, as we gather with family and friends this Christmas, we are encouraging people to make a donation in lieu of a gift with one of our easily downloadable Christmas gift cards,’ Ms Williams concluded.

Here are 5 other food safety myths busted to keep your family and friends food safe during the holidays:

1.         No one goes hungry at a family celebration – don’t over cater and buy too much food that won’t fit in your fridge and leave you with too many leftovers.

2.         The fridge isn’t just for beer – make room in your fridge for perishable food by putting drinks on ice, this also means the fridge won’t constantly be opened by your guests.

3.         Christmas ham won’t last forever – check the storage instructions and best before or use by date before removing the ham from its plastic wrap, cover it with clean cloth soaked in water and vinegar so it doesn’t dry out, and store it in the fridge below 5°C. Reduced salt hams are now becoming popular but will not last as long as conventional hams so think how much you are going to use in the next week or so and freeze some for later.

4.         Leaving food out in the sun for hours isn’t on – don’t leave dips and other perishable foods like patés, cold meats, poultry and salads out for more than two hours, put out small amounts and replace from the fridge every hour or so.

5.         Leftovers should be cooled to room temperature before refrigerating – with the Christmas leftovers its important not to leave them unrefrigerated and there is no need to cool to room temperature. So as soon as the cooked food has stopped steaming, divide leftovers into into small containers so they will cool quickly and refrigerate or freeze immediately. Use up refrigerated leftovers within 3 days and make sure your fridge is running at 5°C or below. Always reheat leftovers to 75°C in the centre of the item or the thickest part to kill any food poisoning bugs

Take our Christmas and holiday entertaining quiz and for more information see our Food safety at Christmas advice

Media contact:

Lydia Buchtmann, Food Safety Information Council, 0407 626 688 or info@foodsafety.asn.au

Recently, the Federal Department of Industry, Innovation and Science’s Office of the Chief Economist released The Australian Industry Report 2015.

It is an overview of the major economic factors affecting Australia’s industries, and includes an analysis.

There are four chapters based on the following;

• A snapshot of major economic developments affecting the Australian economy over the past year
• A key theme such as structural change (2014 edition) or government regulation (2015 edition) that cuts across Australian industries
• Research and analysis on an industry specific issue such as the five key growth sectors (2014 edition) or enabling services (2015 edition)
• Research based on the department’s programme data.

The 2014 Report

http://www.industry.gov.au/Office-of-the-Chief-Economist/Publications/Documents/Australian-Industry-Report.pdf

The 2015 Report

http://www.industry.gov.au/Office-of-the-Chief-Economist/Publications/Documents/AIR2015.pdf

According to the 2015 Report, Food and Agriculture has had a 2.2 percent increase in employment.

Accommodation and Food Services has had a 20 percent increase in profitability and expanded by seven percent.

A Free Trade Agreement is intended to improve the trading between countries. There has been a lot of hype, both positive and negative, about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). This is probably the single largest free trade agreement in the world right now and impacts about 40 percent of the earth’s economy.

It is important to remember that in such agreements, it is not just trade that is include, things like copyright, medicines and computer issues are also often included, and this just confuses many people.

These agreements are really about each country going into the negotiations to get the best deal it can in a variety of issues.

So how does the TPP affect us Foodies?

Meat Industry – as 55 percent of our beef goes to those countries in the TPP, there will be significant tariff reductions and greater access to markets. A tariff is a form of a tax imposed on importers to protect companies and industries with the country, so a reduction and eventual elimination of tariffs in most TPP partners will level the playing field for Australian meat exporters.

Cereal / Grain Industry – Tariffs will be reduced and in some TPP partners, eliminated entirely. There will also be increase in market access and quotas.

Dairy Industry – Increased access to the Japanese market and the US is going to reduce it’s tariffs, whilst Canada and Mexico will be introducing new quotas.

Rice Industry – is a big winner with a massive increase in rice about to go into Japan.

Sugar – many believe that the benefits her are not enough but the TPP does give Australia the largest access granted to any sugar exporting country and there will be tariff decreases in other countries.

Wine Industry – currently 45 percent of our wine exports are going into TPP countries, so the tariff eliminations (over time) will be a huge advantage to this industry.

Horticulture Industry – the big news here is the reduction in tariffs on oranges going into Japan and the elimination of tariffs on fruit juices.

The Parliaments of each of the12 TPP countries now have to approve the Agreement, so it may be some time before it becomes enforceable.

So what did we have to give us to get these trade conditions?

Is it a good agreement for this country?

Only time will tell.

It has been known for quite a while that the mother’s health and diet has a major impact on an unborn child.

Recent research based at RMIT University in Melbourne has shown that Dad’s diet could also be having an effect. It is one of the first studies specifically focussed on Dad and not Mum.

It is not only what he eats but how much that seems to be important, particularly to the mental health of the child.

The research was done using two groups of male rats, the first was allowed to eat as much as they wanted and the second had a diet with 25 percent less calories.

Professor Antonio Paolini from RMIT’s School of Health Sciences said; “Even though the father’s had no contact with their offspring and the mother’s behaviour remained relatively unchanged, the offspring of the food-limited rats were lighter, ate less and showed less evidence of anxiety.”

With humans in western countries becoming more and more obese generally, this finding should be ringing alarm bells for our society. Interestingly there seems to be an increasing number of kids with Autism, so the question seems to be begging – is there a relationship between increased food intake of fathers and their kids potentially having mental health issues or conditions?

Western society has food available in excess and very few actually now go hungry. This is a huge change from generations ago, when many did not know where their next meal was coming from.

This research has significant findings which may have major effects on public health and on how and what food manufacturers will be allowed to make.

The research will shortly be published in the scientific journal Psychoneuroendocrinology.

The following is from the NSW Food Authority NSW Food News from 07 December 2015.

The NSW Government has stripped raw milk marketed as ‘cosmetic’ or ‘bath’ milk from the shelves of a number of Sydney health food shops following recent inspections.

As part of ongoing actions to address the sale of raw milk, the NSW Food Authority has enacted a range of proactive monitoring and compliance activities, which included the seizure of approximately 68 litres of unpasteurised dairy products in the Sydney area.

Minister for Primary Industries, Niall Blair, said retailers are on notice that claims the product is used for bathing will not wash.

“While there are no food businesses in NSW licensed by the NSW Food Authority to produce raw milk for cosmetic purposes, we know that some retailing businesses are sourcing this product from elsewhere to sell it,” Mr Blair said.

“Raw milk is a high food safety risk – the sale of raw milk for human consumption is illegal in Australia and this kind of farcical deception won’t be tolerated. It was apparent to the NSW Food Authority that the sale of raw milk products at these premises was not for cosmetic reasons.

“The NSW Food Authority will continue to address retail businesses selling raw milk as bath milk and the NSW Government is committed to working with other states in an effort to find a national solution to the broader issue of the sale of raw milk.”

Results from samples taken from the recent product seizures showed elevated levels of E.coli present; proof that the risk is real. Unpasteurised milk contains harmful bacteria such as E.coli, Salmonella and Listeria that can result in illness or even death.

The NSW Government will continue removing raw milk from NSW shelves. Random checks of retailers will continue, in line with the Food Authority’s policy of escalated enforcement.

Another area of focus is the practice of ‘herd sharing’, where a person enters into contract and purchase shares in a herd or individual cow to receive raw milk produced by that herd.

Claims that this does not constitute the sale of food are false, the operation of a herd share arrangement can constitute food for sale under the Food Act 2003. Milk for sale in NSW needs to be licensed with the NSW Food Authority to ensure it is subject to the stringent safety requirements of the Dairy Food Safety Scheme.

If anyone is aware of raw milk being sold in NSW they are encouraged to report it to the NSW Food Authority on 1300 552 406.

Ok, so this website is all about food safety, and food safety training in particular. But food safety is really only part of the overall picture in a food business.

It is vital that food business owners don’t just focus on staff or food safety, or cleaning, or making money or any other specific issue. They have to always remember that a food business is an extremely complex operation which covers food safety, quality, workplace health & safety, operational, finance, staff, etc etc.

One of the many issues which smaller food business often forget is fire management.

There are seven fire management issues that all food businesses, regardless of their size, must think about;

1. Someone has to be responsible for the day to day and overall picture – making sure that all legal requirements are met; eg; fire equipment is up to date and accessible at all times
2. Know what the legal and business requirements are – there are federal laws and standards and state / territory as well – the business must know which apply to it and what must be done to comply with them.
3. Risk Assessment – the only way to really know the what, where, who and when is to do a full risk assessment of the site and every process. This should also be reviewed regularly and if there are any changes within the business.
4. The right system for the right place – every business is different so what works for your neighbour may not work for you. Make sure that your fire protection suits your business needs and legal requirements.
5. Maintain and audit – make sure that all fire equipment is maintained as required and audit your program regularly to make sure it meets all requirements.
6. Drills and training – there can never be enough staff training and drills when it comes to fire management. Training and regular drills must be a mandatory requirement for the business and it’s staff.
7. Fire protection provider – like all suppliers, make sure that this provider meets legal requirements and the business needs. The Fire Protection Association of Australia has a Providers of Choice list which shows reputable fire protection providers.

With the party season just about to start and the cheese platters about to become a common feature around tables, it is timely that Dairy Australia, as the national representative of the dairy industry, has just released ten tips for best enjoying cheese The following are based on those tips.

1. A little bit of everything – a good cheese platter has something strong, something hard and something soft, so there are different combinations of texture and flavour. It is also good to fruit on the platter to balance out the experience.
2. Buy local product – Australia has magnificent world recognised and awarded cheeses, so pick cheeses from this country and support local producers. Remember that farmer’s markets are a good place to find something very local and special.
3. Best before – cheese is actually an aged milk based product, so the closer it is to the best before date the better the flavour. It is one of the few products where the product is actually most likely better the closer it is to the best before. Remember that some cheeses have use by dates and these should only be eaten up to the date and not after.
4. So what to put with it – have you thought of a small container of honey or balsamic vinegar on the cheese board to jazz up the cheeses? Make sure that the crackers are fresh and crisp and include some fruit.
5. Keep it cold – all cheeses should be stored in the fridge before use. Keep them well wrapped.
6. Room temperature – like most foods, cheese tastes so much better when it is not ice cold, so get the hard and firm cheese out of the fridge and prepare the platter / board. Cover the board with a clean moist cloth to keep the cheeses moist and leave at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving. Fresh cheeses should be served straight from the fridge.
7. Leftovers – only put out small amounts so that the likelihood of leftovers is reduced. If the cheese has been out at room temperature for less than two hours, it can be wrapped or put into a container and placed back into the fridge. It can then be used on any product that is going to be cooked, eg; Ricotta on Spaghetti or Camembert over Chicken.
8. Keep them covered – make sure all foods, including chesses, are properly wrapped or in suitable containers when stored in the fridge, especially the stinky cheeses.
9. Serving boards – whilst cheese looks great on a wooden board, it is probably best to use the wooden board for the crackers or bread and a nice ceramic or glass tray for the cheese. You can use almost any clean flat surface for a cheese board.

10. Knives – just have one per cheese – saves mixing, so you get the flavour of one not many.

The following recall information is provided with permission from the NSW Food Authority

COCONUT JUICE

Majestic Import & Export Pty Ltd has recalled La Natural Young Coconut Juice sold at specialty Asian grocery stores nationally (excl. TAS).

Note: Update to a previous recall of the same product but distributed by a different supplier. The recall now includes the 330ml can, a best before date and is also sold in WA.

The product is being recalled due to the presence of an undeclared allergen (dairy).

Product details are:

• La      Natural Young Coconut Juice, 330ml and 520ml cans
• Best      Before: 16 May 2016

Consumers with a dairy allergy or intolerance should not consume this product and should return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. If you are concerned about your health, you should seek medical advice.

For more information contact Majestic Import & Export Pty Ltd on 02 9411 1855.

BUDERIM GINGER MARMALADE

Buderim Group Limited has recalled Original Ginger Marmalade sold in Coles, Woolworths and, in some states, Thomas Dux and IGA supermarkets

The product is being recalled due to a potential presence of glass fragments.

Product details are:

• Original Ginger Marmalade, 365g, glass container with a metal closure, BEST      BEFORE 18/07/2018

Consumers should not eat this product. Consumers can return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

If you are concerned about your health, you should seek medical advice.

For more information contact Buderim Group Limited on 1800 067 686.

FLAXSEED PRODUCT

Flavour Makers Pty Ltd has recalled a flaxseed product sold in Coles in NSW, ACT and QLD.

The product is being recalled due to the presence of undeclared allergens (tree nuts – almonds, Brazil nuts and walnuts) in the product.

Product details are:

• Flaxseed with Cocoa and Berries, 300g pouch, Best Before 15 Oct 2016

Consumers with a tree nut allergy or intolerance should not consume this product and should return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. If you are concerned about your health, you should seek medical advice.

For more information contact Flavour Makers Pty Ltd on (03) 9580 7155.